TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's government said on Thursday that an executive at major chemicals maker Formosa Plastics had been detained in China.

The Mainland Affairs Council, responding to media reports of the executive being stopped at the Chinese border and detained, said it was aware of the detention, though it declined further comment citing the family's wishes and security.

Formosa Plastics said it was in the process of understanding what had happened, and declined comment.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Faith Hung; Editing by Kim Coghill)